System and method for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information

ABSTRACT

A system and method for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information. In accordance with an embodiment, the system comprises a digital map/map information; a likelihood routing information; a route processor; wherein, when a request is received from a user/driver, or from another system, to receive a routing information, the system receives real-time information from a traffic-monitoring device or service providing real-time information; wherein the route processor adjusts the received real-time information based on the system&#39;s likelihood routing information; and wherein the routing information based on the combination of real-time and likelihood information can then be provided to the user/driver or other system in response to the original request.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/668,427 titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED ROUTING THAT COMBINES REAL-TIME AND LIKELIHOOD INFORMATION” filed Nov. 29, 2012 and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/566,121, titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED ROUTING THAT COMBINES REAL-TIME AND LIKELIHOOD INFORMATION”, filed Dec. 2, 2011; both applications are herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention are generally related to map-based routing, as may be used in vehicle mapping systems, and are particularly related to a system and method for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information.

BACKGROUND

Map-based routing systems are often encountered in the form of an in-vehicle device which uses a global positioning system (GPS) sensor as a basis for displaying a map of the local area surrounding the vehicle, and providing a route for the driver to follow from an origin location to a destination location. The same techniques can be used, e.g., as part of a desktop computer application, or as a mobile telephone application, to provide a user with similar mapping and routing assistance.

Regardless of the platform used, for a routing system to provide useful assistance, it must have an accurate knowledge not just of the possible routes and their distances, but of their suitability with regard to, e.g., travel time, which can be affected by factors such as traffic, or ongoing construction. Since such factors are variable, some systems gather real-time information, e.g., via traffic-monitoring devices and services, and utilize that real-time information as part of its routing determinations. Other systems determine instead a statistical likelihood of, e.g., traffic at certain times of day, and use this likelihood information as part of its routing determinations. However, each approach has its disadvantages: real-time information may be useful, e.g., at the start of a shorter journey, but is less useful for longer or more complex trips, or trips starting at a later point in time; while statistical likelihoods may be useful in planning longer or more complex trips, but may not be able to take into account unusual changes in the traffic pattern. These are the general area that embodiments of the invention are intended to address.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein is a system and method for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information. In accordance with an embodiment, the system comprises a digital map/map information; a likelihood routing information; a route processor; wherein, when a request is received from a user/driver, or from another system, to receive a routing information, the system receives real-time information from a traffic-monitoring device or service providing real-time information; wherein the route processor adjusts the received real-time information based on the system's likelihood routing information; and wherein the routing information based on the combination of real-time and likelihood information can then be provided to the user/driver or other system in response to the original request.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a system for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 further illustrates a system for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates the use of a system for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a method for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information, in accordance with an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed herein is a system and method for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information. As described above, traditional approaches to map-based routing have disadvantages: real-time information may be useful, e.g., at the start of a shorter journey, but is less useful for longer or more complex trips, or trips starting at a later point in time; while statistical likelihoods may be useful in planning longer or more complex trips, but may not be able to take into account unusual changes in the traffic pattern. In accordance with an embodiment, the system combines both real-time and likelihood information to provide a routing system with improved routing.

FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a system for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information, in accordance with an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a route historical database or service 40 can include or otherwise provide historical information about a plurality of routes, based on particular conditions and probabilities associated therewith.

For example, in accordance with an embodiment, the route historical database or service can include information about which routes are likely to have particular characteristics (e.g., that the route is congested, or that the route requires payment of tolls) under particular conditions (e.g., a particular time of day, particular calendar dates, or particular weather conditions). Each historical information can be associated with a probability—for example, a particular route during the hours of Friday at 4-5 pm on school calendar days is congested 90% of the time.

In accordance with an embodiment, the historical information can be stored as a plurality of route patterns 42 including, for each pattern, a defined route condition 50, 54, 58, such as a time interval or a weather type, and a historical route information probability 51, 55, 59 that the route will have particular characteristics under the defined conditions. This historical information can be subsequently provided as likelihood routing information 70, either in an on-demand fashion, or for persistent storage within a mapping/routing system.

As further shown in FIG. 2, a traffic monitoring device or service, or other service that provides real-time traffic and/or other information 80, can be used to provide real-time information 82, e.g., information describing current traffic patterns, construction advisories, or weather information.

In accordance with an embodiment, both the likelihood routing information, and the real-time information, can be provided to a mapping/routing system 100 which is itself provided, e.g., within a vehicle or as a handheld system, and which includes a digital map or map information 102, and a route processor 106. As described above, in accordance with some embodiments the likelihood routing information can be persistently stored 104 within the mapping/routing system; while in other embodiments the likelihood routing information can be provided on-demand.

FIG. 2 further illustrates a system for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information, in accordance with an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, when a request 110 is received from a user/driver, or from another system, to receive a routing information, e.g., a route for the user/driver to follow from an origin location to a destination location, the system receives real-time information 112 from the traffic-monitoring device or service. The route processor adjusts 114 the received real-time information for the anticipated route based on the system's likelihood routing information. The routing information based on the combination of real-time and likelihood information 116 can then be modified and/or provided to the user/driver or other system in response to the original request.

FIG. 3 illustrates the use of a system for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information, in accordance with an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the mapping/routing system can be provided within a vehicle, e.g., as a component of a GPS-type navigation system. When a request is received 122, in this example from a driver, to receive a routing information, the system determines a likelihood routing for the anticipated route and conditions 124, receives real-time information from a traffic-monitoring device or service providing real-time information 126, and adjusts the received real-time information based on the system's likelihood routing information 128.

For example, if the driver intends to drive a particular route at 5:00 pm, and the system determines, based on historical information, that a particular road on the route is likely to become 30% more congested at 5:00 pm than it is at 4:00 pm, and real-time information received at 4:00 pm indicates ongoing construction on that road, then the route processor can adjust its traffic estimates to account for the likelihood of increased traffic and slower drive-time using that road, which may lead to the route processor choosing an alternate route.

The routing information based on the combination of real-time and likelihood information can then be provided to the user/driver or other system in response to the original request.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a method for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information, in accordance with an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, at step 130, a request is received, e.g., from a user/driver, or from another system, to receive routing information.

At step 132, the system receives real-time information, e.g., from a traffic-monitoring service or other service providing real-time traffic and/or other information.

At step 134, likelihood routing information is determined for the anticipated rout and conditions, e.g., the time-of-day, or calendar.

At step 136, the real-time information is adjusted based on the system's likelihood routing information for the anticipated route.

At step 138, the routing information, adjusted based on the combination of real-time and likelihood information, can then be modified and/or provided to the user/driver or other system in response to the original request.

The present invention may be conveniently implemented using one or more conventional general purpose or specialized digital computers or microprocessors programmed according to the teachings of the present disclosure. Appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the software art.

In some embodiments, the present invention includes a computer program product which is a non-transitory storage medium (media) having instructions stored thereon/in which can be used to program a computer to perform any of the processes of the present invention. The storage medium can include, but is not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical discs, DVD, CD-ROMs, microdrive, and magneto-optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, DRAMs, VRAMs, flash memory devices, magnetic or optical cards, nanosystems (including molecular memory ICs), or any type of media or device suitable for storing instructions and/or data.

The foregoing description of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalence. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for estimating drive time for a route at a given time interval that combines historical and real time traffic flow information, comprising: a digital map/map information; a historical traffic flow information; a route processor; wherein, upon a route drive time request for the given time interval, the system receives real time traffic flow information along the route and real time conditions that affect traffic flow along the route; wherein the route processor determines a drive time along the route at the given time interval using the received real time traffic flow information along the route adjusted by the historical traffic flow information for the given time interval and the real time conditions that affect traffic flow along the route.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the historical traffic flow information is provided by a database or service that includes or otherwise provides traffic flow information about a plurality of routes, based on particular time intervals, conditions, and probabilities.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the historical traffic flow information is subsequently provided either on-demand or from persistent storage within a mapping/routing system.
 4. A method for estimating travel time for a route at a time interval that combines real-time and historical traffic flow information, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for the travel time for the route at the time interval; receiving real time traffic flow information along the route and real time conditions that affect traffic flow along the route; determining the travel time along the route at the time interval using the received real time traffic flow information along the route adjusted by the historical traffic flow information for the given time interval and the real time conditions that affect traffic flow along the route.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the historical traffic flow information is included within or provided by a database or service that includes or otherwise provides historical information about a plurality of routes, based on particular conditions, time intervals, and probabilities.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the historical traffic flow information is subsequently provided either on-demand or for persistent storage within a mapping/routing system.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the time interval comprises one or more of: time of day, and weekday or weekend or holiday;
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditions comprise one or more of: lane closures, accidents, weather conditions, and road closures.
 9. A non-transitory computer readable medium, including instructions stored thereon which when read and executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform the steps comprising: receiving a request for a travel time for a route at a time interval; receiving real-time traffic flow information along the route and real time conditions that affect traffic flow along the route; determining the travel time along the route at the time interval using the received real time traffic flow information along the route adjusted by the historical traffic flow information for the given time interval and the real time conditions that affect traffic flow along the route.
 10. A system for storage of traffic flow information used to determine route travel times, comprising: a processor; a digital memory used for storage of a map/map information and a historical traffic flow information; wherein the historical traffic flow information comprises the average traffic density and drive time for each of a plurality of route patterns.
 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the average for traffic density and drive time is further subdivided based on one or more of a time interval, weather type, and construction advisories. 